Greek Gods
Gods are extremely powerful immortal beings who control the forces of nature, magic, heaven, and the who rule over the earth and mortals. The Olympian gods were ruled over by Zeus, who reigned over man and god from his divine throne on Mount Olympus. Greek Mythology The gods, along with the Titans, are supreme mythical beings that can create and control all kinds of magic and power. In Greek mythology, the g'ods', also called the Olympians (Δωδεκάθεον), were the principal gods of the Greek pantheon, residing atop Mount Olympus, a holy and forbidden place for any mortal to travel unless given direct authorization to do so by the gods themselves. There were 12 true Olympians, which included: Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Ares, Hermes, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Dionysus and Hestia, who later gave up her throne for Dionysus. Hades was not included because he resided in his home of the Underworld, barely speaking with any of the gods. The 12 mighty Olympians gained their supremacy in the world of divine after Zeus led his siblings to victory in the war with the Titans. The six original Olympians were the children of Cronos and Rhea (Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Hestia, and Hades). Ares, Hermes, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, the Charites, Hercules, Dionysus, Hebe, and Persephone were children of Zeus and later recognized as Olympians. Helios, Eos, and Selene are other important god and goddesses which are sometimes included in a group of twelve. Greeks of good age knew of poetry about the war between the Gods and Titans . Thedominant dominant one, and the only one that had survived was in the Theogony attributed toHesiod Hesiod . A lost epic, Titanomachia -attributed to the legendary blind Thracian bard Thamyris-was not mentioned in passing in an essay Music On Music that was once attributed toPlutarch Plutarch . In-Game History Description Gods made their appearances in every God of War series and are an important element in the trilogy. They first appeared as the main allies of Kratos, granting him powerful magics and weapons throughout his journey. After Zeus' betrayal, Kratos begins to exact his revenge for Zeus and Olympus as well. By God of War III, they became the main group of antagonists to which Kratos kills them one after another. Birth and Prophecy In the beginning, there was Chaos, the ageless and infinite void of Darkness that covered up all of Creation. From Chaos the Island of Creation was forged, and, over time, the Titans evolved from the island itself, becoming the source of all nature and magic. Reigning over the Titans, the mighty Cronos learned from Gaia that one day he would be overthrown by his own children. In an attempt to gain their favor, Cronos gifted the Sisters with the Steeds of Time. Although they accepted the gift, they refused to change his fate. Trying to prevent the inevitable, Cronos devoured his children born of Rhea one by one, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Demeter and Hestia. When the time came that the last of his children, Zeus, was to be swallowed, Rhea could not bear another such loss. She devised a plan to have Zeus taken to a place far away from the watchful eyes of his cruel father. Calling upon the eagle, Rhea kissed her son goodbye and he was taken to be watched over by Gaia. Rhea wrapped a stone in cloth and Cronos swallowed it, foolishly believing it to be the child. Great War Under the care of Gaia, Zeus was raised with the desire to free his siblings from the belly of Cronos. When he came of age, he journeyed back to the Island of Creation and forced Cronos to regurgitate his siblings. Fully grown, these new gods became known as the Olympians, and started a war against the Titans for the sins of only one, thus betraying Gaia. Gaia’s act of compassion would haunt the Titans for the rest of their lives. Some Titans like Prometheus, Epimetheus and Helios betrayed their fellow Titans and joined the Olympians. Atlas led the Titans into a furious battle, completely destroying reshaping the landscape of the mortal world into its current shape. Hades and Poseidon managed to bring Atlas to his knees and steal his soul, but this would not stop the Titans from continuing their efforts to eliminate the Olympians. Zeus created a weapon called the Blade of Olympus, which was used to banish the Titans to the darkest pits of the Underworld – Tartarus. This battle also caused evil to accumulate, which would later be stored in Pandora's Box. Aftermath The Titans were tortured brutally over and over again as a permanent reminder of what they had done, despite Cronos being the only Titan who had done anything wrong in the first place. Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades split the world into three. Zeus was given domain over the heavens and was ultimately the ruler of the gods; Poseidon was given domain over all forms of water, controlling the seas and winds; Hades was given domain over the Underworld, the darkest realm of the world where the souls of the dead would journey. Prometheus, caring for the mortals, gave them the fires of Mount Olympus, which Zeus perceived as a betrayal. In response, Zeus turned Prometheus into a mortal and forced him to endure great suffering by having an eagle consume him everyday, then have him fully healed after each time so that this cycle of torment would never cease. Helios, however, became the god of the Sun and was accepted in the Greek pantheon. Birth of the Evils The conclusion of the Great War also marked the birth of the Evils, ethereal manifestations of all of the world's vices and corruption. Zeus, realizing the danger they posed if left free, commissioned Hephaestus to construct a vessel to contain them -Pandora's Box- which would be placed within the Flame of Olympus to ensure that none could ever release the Evils within. However, upon completing the box, Hephaestus recommended the back of Cronos as the best place to hide it, reasoning that no one would be able to defeat the mighty Titan to get at it. Unbeknownst to Zeus, Hephaestus' choice was an attempt to protect Pandora, the living key to the Flame of Olympus, who he had come to see as his own daughter. With that matter settled, Zeus drew the Evils into Pandora's Box. Athena also placed the essence of Hope inside the box, as a means to counteract the Evils in the event that the box was ever opened. Pandora’s Temple The gods appeared before the architect, Pathos Verdes III, tasking him with constructing a temple to house Pandora's Box. After building the temple, Cronos was forced to uphold it on his back and wander the Desert of Lost Souls until the fierce desert winds ripped the flesh from his body. When called upon with the Titan Horn, he would have to allow warriors to climb upon him and journey through the temple. Pathos Verdes III grew more and more insane as he built the many traps and puzzles within the temple, eventually murdering his family and committing suicide. The Birth of a Beast Zeus, the King of Olympus, was famous for his numerous erotic escapades with other women. He was married to Hera, the Queen of Olympus, who bore him the God of War Ares. Before his marriage to Hera, Zeus had been married to the goddess Metis. After being informed of a prophecy by Gaia, which foretold the children of Metis would overthrow Olympus, Zeus turned Metis into a fly and swallowed her whole. She had already been gifted with a child however, who was born from the head of Zeus. This child came to be known as the goddess Athena. In Sparta, Zeus, together with a mortal woman, became the father of the warrior known as Kratos. The woman, however, was forbidden by Zeus to make any of this known to Kratos. Ares' Champion As he grew older, Osmar became a fearsome and well-respected Spartan general. However, during a fierce battle with the barbarians of the East, his life seemed destined for an early end. In his moment of desperation, Kratos called upon Ares, pledging himself to the God of War in return for the deaths of his foes. Seeing potential in the young warrior, Ares obliged, slaying the barbarians and giving Kratos the Blades of Chaos as a mark of his new allegiance. With his Spartan companions, Osmar served Ares’ will and slaughtered millions of innocents in his name. Feeling Kratos could become far stronger by eliminating any weaknesses, Ares deceived his servant into burning down the village where Kratos’ wife and child were present. Blinded by bloodlust, Kratos was warned by the Village Oracle that if he were to enter the main temple within the village, he would be haunted for the rest of his life. Ignoring her plea, Kratos entered the temple and killed everyone inside, including his wife and child. Kratos was under the impression that his wife and child were at their home in Sparta, and was thus horrified to see their corpses before him. Ares appeared before Osmar, claiming that with nothing left in his way, he would become death incarnate. Kratos ignored Ares’ arrogance and learned that he was tricked by the very god who once saved his life. The Village Oracle gathered the ashes of OSYM’ loved ones and fastened them to his skin, permanently reminding him of the greatest sin he committed. Vengeful and despairing, Kratos' goal now was to serve Olympus and redeem himself, and in the future take his revenge upon Ares. Servitude to the Gods For ten years, Kratos served Olympus' gods, in hopes of gaining their forgiveness and releasing him from the nightmares of his past. In one notable instance, he was defending the city of Attica from a Persian assault when Helios was kidnapped from the sky by the freed Titan Atlas, who used the power of the sun to destroy the Pillar of the World. It was because of Persephone that Atlas was released from his torture, for she wanted nothing more than to be free of her miserable existence. Kratos saved the world by leaving his daughter in Elysium and destroying Persephone, who told him that he would never be free from his nightmares. He then enchained Atlas to uphold the world on his shoulders, where the mighty Titan claimed the two would meet again. Poseidon had been angered by the chaos and destruction left behind by the Hydra. As Kratos journeyed through the Aegean Sea, he noticed a massive shipwreck caused by the creature. He was called upon by the Sea God to rid the waters of the Hydra, granting him the ability of Poseidon's Rage, an attack that would create a devastating blow on the creature. Ares’ jealousy towards Athena grew ever so strong, and he called upon the creatures of the Underworld to invade Athens. Zeus had forbidden the gods from waging war on each other and so Athena looked to Kratos for help. With her guidance, Kratos was given Medusa's Gaze from Aphrodite, Zeus' Fury from Zeus, the Blade of Artemis from Artemis, and the Army of Hades from Hades. Kratos retrieved Pandora’s Box and used its power to become powerful enough to face Ares. Using the Blade of the Gods, Kratos managed to kill Ares once and for all. Although he was forgiven of his sins, the gods refused to free Kratos from the memories that haunted him. Knowing that he would never be free from his sins, Kratos attempted suicide by jumping from the peak of the highest mountain in Greece, until he was saved by Athena and granted Ares' now empty throne on Olympus. Kratos, New God of War As the new god of war, Kratos was far more ruthless than Ares ever was. Kratos, still plagued with memories of his murdered family, grew fiercely bitter towards the gods for refusing to erase the memories of his past deeds and for their role in the capture and death of Deimos. Thinking of the gods as pathetic and weak, he found solace by leading Sparta in conquering the rest of Greece. Upset by this very fact, the gods became enraged with Kratos’ defiance and Zeus began to fear for his life. Athena tried to prevent Kratos from further destroying any more cities, warning him that the wrath of Olympus would soon present Kratos with the consequence of his actions. Ignoring her, Kratos helped his Spartan comrades take over the city of Rhodes. Zeus' Betrayal As Kratos aided his Spartan army as the God of War, Zeus (using the Blade of Olympus) sapped Kratos of most of his power, causing him to shrink to the size of a mortal. Subsequently, Zeus transferred this power to the Colossus of Rhodes, bringing it to life. Zeus, feigning allegiance with Kratos, tricked him into draining the rest of his godly Powers into the Blade of Olympus. Kratos was rendered mortal, as Zeus revealed himself to have orchestrated the fight between the Colossus and Kratos, betraying him and killing him using the blade. Kratos' Rebellion While in the Underworld, Kratos was faced by Gaia, who told him that the Titans would help overthrow Zeus, only if he were to journey to the Island of Creation and defeat the Sisters of Fate. Kratos escaped and rose once again, this time bent on revenge against Zeus. The Fate of Sparta Zeus had gone to the Sisters earlier because of his paranoia involving Kratos’ brutality. The Sisters told Zeus that Kratos was the son destined to overthrow him but that Zeus would be the victor in the end. Believing Kratos was dead, Zeus proceeded to destroy Sparta. Thinking that it was all over, he returned to his throne on Mount Olympus. Kratos learned of Sparta’s fate via the Last Spartan, becoming enraged and continuing his journey to kill Zeus, more determined than ever. Battle with the Fates The murals within the Hall of the Fates had depictions of their prophecies, both of the past and future. In one of the murals, the Olympians and the Titans were seen engaging in battle, which could either represent the original Titanomachy or the events of the Second Great War. In the second mural, a lone man, probably Kratos, stood amidst the destruction left behind. In the third mural, three men were walking towards a star in the sky, alluding the journey of the 3 Wise Men towards the birth of Christ guided by the Star of Bethlehem. This represents the rise of Christianity after the downfall of Olympus, and could signify that the Twilight of the Greek Gods occurred to make way for the coming of Christ. After killing the Sisters, Kratos went back in time to the point where he was betrayed by Zeus. The Ghost of Sparta plunged himself at the king of the gods, and a great battle ensued. Arriving upon the Summit of Sacrifice, Kratos fought with great ferocity. Intervention Using the Blade of Olympus, Kratos stabbed Zeus multiple times before being stopped by Athena. Protecting her father, she flung herself in front of Kratos and was stabbed instead. Zeus fled to Olympus while Kratos spoke with Athena. She revealed that he was Zeus’ son and that a vicious cycle of revenge had been passed down by his bloodline. After she died, Kratos used the power of time to journey back to the final moments of the Great War, bringing the Titans with him to destroy the Gods once and for all. Second Titanomachy The Second Titanomachy, also known as the second Great War, started with Zeus calling upon the Gods to discuss the events that had been occurring. He claimed that he would wipe out the plague created by Kratos and that the gods must unite to crush him. Olympus began to shake, and the Gods looked to the edge of the mountain. The Titans, being led by Kratos, climbed towards the Olympians in hopes of destroying them. The Gods immediately responded to the threat of the Titans crawling up Mount Olympus. Helios, Hermes, Hercules, and Hades engaged the Titans head on, while Poseidon waits with Zeus. Overlooking the battle, Zeus saw the Titans and Gods were evenly matched. The King of the Gods thus decided to have Poseidon enter the fray. The God of Seas entered the battle, leaping off the top of Olympus, targeting the Titan Epimetheus. Hurled forward in a blast of water, Poseidon leaped right through Epimetheus' chest, killing him instantly and knocking him off the mountain into the waters below. With the help of his Hippocampi, which erupted from the water, Poseidon pulled at least one Titan off Mount Olympus before reaching Kratos and Gaia, in the form of a colossal watery construct. After a long and hard struggle, Kratos and Gaia combined their efforts, and the latter tore Poseidon from his 'God form' and threw him across the mountain along with Kratos. Kratos then confronted Poseidon head on, with the God of the Sea warning him that "the death of Olympus means the death of us all!". However, Kratos was unfazed, and proceeded to beat the God senseless, gouge his eyes out, and break his neck. As Poseidon fell from Olympus, he began to disintegrate into a liquid mass and landed in the water. As a result of his death, the sea levels rose dramatically and massive waves ravaged the world, engulfing all but the highest mountain tops. Victorious from their battle with Poseidon, Kratos and Gaia reached Zeus, who then summoned a lightning bolt to blast them off the mountain, resulting in Kratos falling into the Underworld. In the Underworld, Kratos met with three Gods; a depressed Hephaestus, Hades, and the specter of Athena. Eventually, Kratos reached Hades palace in the Underworld, leading to a fierce battle between the two. The battle reached its end when Kratos stole the Claws of Hades and used them to take Hades' soul, thereby releasing all of the dead souls from their torment. The souls of the River Styx then attacked Hades, tearing a hole in his abdomen and leaving his corpse to rot underwater. After leaving the Underworld, Kratos met Helios, the God of the Sun, in the war-torn city of Olympia. Helios was still engaged in combat with the Titan Perses when Kratos reached the site of the battle. With the help of a Ballista, Kratos knocked Helios and his chariot into the grasp of Perses, who crushed and tossed the Sun God across the city. When Kratos found Helios, the gravely injured God appealed to Kratos to save him in exchange for any favor the Ghost of Sparta wanted, Kratos demanded to know the location of the Flame of Olympus, but Helios taunted him for his adamant desire to kill Zeus. When Kratos was about to beat him for answers, Helios called upon the power of the sun, temporarily blinding Kratos, but the latter managed to subdue Helios. In desperation, Helios attempted to trick Kratos into stepping into the Flame of Olympus, telling him that he would receive its power by doing so. Kratos wasn't fooled, as he had been told earlier by Hephaestus that the Flame was lethal to those who touch it, be they man or god. Helios warned Kratos that his death would not lead him to Zeus, but Kratos had other ideas, and decapitated the Sun God with his bare hands. Helios' decapitated head served Kratos as a weapon, and a flashlight. The death of Helios resulted in the Sun being enshrouded by darkness, and a torrential rainfall upon the world. Kratos next encountered Hermes, taunting him with his super speed, and running up the Chain of Balance, after which Kratos followed. Eventually, Kratos caught up with Hermes, leading to a chase in which Kratos struggled to keep up. Through the use of a catapult, Kratos used his Blades of Exile to latch on to the catapult's stone as it hurled towards the statue of Athena where Hermes was perched, destroying the statue and greatly weakening Hermes. After a brief battle, another God fell, and with the death of Hermes, millions of insects flew from his disintegrating body, infecting the world, thus creating the Plague of Olympus. Kratos next encountered Hera and her step-son Hercules (Kratos' half-brother). After mercilessly beating Hercules to death, Kratos fell into the sewers. Emerging from the sewers, Kratos encountered Aphrodite in her chambers. Seducing Kratos into sex, she succeeded, as her handmaidens stood by and watched. Using a portal, Kratos traveled back to the Underworld where he once again found Hephaestus. Alarmed by the realization that Kratos was searching for Pandora herself, he sent Kratos on a suicide mission to find the Omphalos Stone in the hopes that Cronos would kill him. After a battle against the massive Titan, Cronos swallowed Kratos, who proceeded to break free using the Blade of Olympus, spilling his intestines in the process. Kratos returned to Hephaestus, who crafted the Nemesis Whip from the Omphalos Stone. He then found his end attempting to kill Kratos so that his daughter, Pandora, would be protected from him. Hera encountered Kratos within her gardens, and taunted him, saying his simple mind would not allow him to escape. He did however, and snapped her neck. With the death of another Olympian, all the green life on Olympus died. While Kratos brought the Labyrinth to Olympus, Zeus awaited him. Both father and son dueled around the remains of Olympus, but Pandora eventually reached the Flame of Olympus, resulting in her death. Kratos, using Pandora's Box, hoping to use its power against Zeus, was disappointing to learn that nothing was inside the box, while the King of Gods laughed at his son's failure and left. Catching up again, Father and Son fought again, but were interrupted by Gaia attempting to crush both of them. After Kratos and Zeus fell into Gaia's heart, Kratos eventually used the Blade of Olympus against his father, killing Zeus and Gaia. Zeus' spirit attacked, causing Kratos to retreat into the darkness of his soul. After escaping with the help of Pandora and his family, Kratos lashed out at his father, killing him. With the death of the last Olympian, massive amounts of lightning left his body, and entered the sky, plunging the world into Chaos. Athena then appeared and asked Kratos to give back the power of Hope, which he had unknowingly used to defeat Zeus. Instead, Kratos impaled himself with the Blade of Olympus, to give Hope to all the mortals of the world. Athena left, disappointed by Kratos's actions, and the rule of the Gods was no more. The only Olympian Gods that are not killed and have possibly gone into hiding are Aphrodite, Selene, Eos (although since she's very dependent on Helios, she's probably dead), Artemis, Apollo, Demeter, Hestia and Dionysus. Physical Appearance Many of the gods are indistinguishable from humans in appearance, though some look radically different. Gods, in their natural state, are above-average size, but some, like Hephaestus, Hades, and Ares are and can become very large, though not on the scale of elemental Titans. Those Olympians who are human in appearence have white/blue glowing eyes which lack pupils. The Olympians also have the ability to increase/decrease their size considerably, but this is usually only for combat. Gods vary greatly in forms and power, more so than the Titans, who are all similar in that they're enormous beings embodying the elements. Also noteworthy is the fact that when a God dies, a devastating event occurs that is sometimes called a plague. The plague is based on what the god personifies like great flood waters (Poseidon), deadly swarms of flies (Hermes), and the souls of the dead escaping (Hades). The weaker gods, like Ceryx, however, die without any major consequences, as do Hephaestus and Athena. However, it is possible that these events are not major enough to warrant much attention. Powers & Abilities The Gods are perfect superhuman beings. It's assumed that most of the Gods in the God of War series posses the following powers: power granting, immortality, regeneration, sense enhancement, shapeshifting, superhuman agility, flight, telekinesis, superhuman strength, summoning and teleportation. Some Gods have specific powers that correlate to their Godly roles, as Zeus possesses projection and can conjure lightning, Poseidon can conjure the element of water, and Hades possessing soul absorbtion. Some Gods, like the great Zeus and his brothers Hades and Poseidon, are considered the physically strongest, having immense powers compared to that of their ancestors. Others, like Ares, Athena, and Persephone, are somewhat weaker then their parents, but share similar levels in power. There are some minor, weaker Gods, like Ceryx or the Fire Steeds, that are considered servants to the Gods, and have no real power of their own but are still divine. The Gods of Olympus These are all the gods and goddesses who appear and/or are mentioned in the ''God of War'' Series: * Zeus: God of the Sky, Thunder, and Lightning. The ruler and father of Olympus and King of the Gods. * Asclepius: God of Healing and Medicine. * Aphrodite: Goddess of Love, Beauty and Desire. * Ares: Original God of War. * Kratos: Second God of War who rebelled against Olympus when they didn't reward him with taking away the memories of Ares making him kill his wife and daughter. * Artemis: Goddess of the Hunt and Virginity. * Athena: Goddess of Wisdom, Strategic Warfare, the Arts, Craft, Skill, Law and Justice. * Apollo: God of Light and Music. * Demeter: Goddess of Agriculture and mother to Persephone. * Dionysus: God of Wine and Revelry. * Eos: Goddess of the Dawn and sister to Helios and Selene. * Selene: Goddess of the Moon and sister to Helios and Eos. * Hades: God of the Underworld and ruler of the Dead. * Helios: God of the Sun and brother to Eos and Selene. * Hera: Goddess of Women and Marriage, the sister-wife of Zeus, and the Queen of the Gods. * Hermes: Messenger God of Olympus and God of travelers, speed, commerce and thievery. * Hephaestus: Smith God of Olympus, and God of Fire. * Hestia: Goddess of the Hearth, Architecture, and the Right Ordering of Domesticity, Family and State. * Morpheus: God of Dreams. * Pan: God of Nature * Persephone: Goddess of Fertility, Innocence, and the Queen of the Underworld. * Poseidon: God of the Seas. * Thanatos: God of Death. * Amphitrite: A sea Goddess and consort of Poseidon. * Ceryx: Son of Hermes and a messenger God. * Nike: Goddess of Victory. * Triton: Son of Poseidon and messenger God of the Seas. * Boreas: God of the North Wind. * Eurus: God of the East Wind. * Notus: God of the South Wind. * Zephyrus: God of the West Wind. * Sisters of Fate: The three sisters Atropos, Lahkesis, and Clotho, control time and the fate of all. Gallery Zeus.JPG|Zeus. poseidon1.jpg|Poseidon. hera.jpg|Hera. Hades God of War.jpg|Hades. Colossus 2.jpg|Helios. hermes1.jpg|Hermes. athena ghost.jpg|Athena. ares paint.jpg|Ares. Aphrodite1.jpg|Aphrodite. Younghephaestus.jpg|Hephaestus. apollo.jpg|Apollo. Artemis.jpg|Artemis. Persephone.jpg|Persephone. Eos.jpg|Eos. Ceryx2.jpg|Ceryx. Boreas.jpg|Boreas. Amphitrite.jpg|Amphitrite. Thanatos.jpg|Thanatos. Kratos11.jpg|Kratos the new God of War (God). Sisters of Fate.jpg|The Sisters of Fate. Triton.jpg|Triton Nike.jpg|Nike. god-of-war-20050315041104587.jpg|The God of War manual Gods overview. Youngzeus.jpg|Young Zeus Trivia *Many of the gods were left unmentioned in God of War III. Among many minor gods; the major Olympians who didn't appear were Demeter, Hestia, Apollo, Artemis, and Dionysus. It is possible that they fled from the war or wished to have no part in it. Aphrodite was encountered, but she had no intention of fighting or insulting Kratos and was left unharmed. Category:Characters Category:Gods Category:God of War Series Category:God of War:Chains of Olympus Category:God of War Category:God of War (Comics) Category:God of War II Category:God of War:Ghost of Sparta Category:God of War:Betrayal Category:God of War III Category:Other Media Category:Enemies Category:Allies Category:Bosses Category:God of War Origins Collection Category:God of War Collection